Republika Srpska is one of two constitutional and legal entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The entities are largely autonomous.
The territory of what is Republika Srpska was first inhabited by several Illyrian and Celtic civilizations during the Neolithic age. After centuries of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 following World War I, which was renamed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Following World War II in Yugoslavia, it became part of the second Yugoslavia in 1945 as part of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The creation of the modern Republika Srpska in 1991 was declared from six Serb Autonomous Regions during the Yugoslav Wars. It became an internationally recognized subject within the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995.
Since the end of the war and the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, Republika Srpska maintains its unicameral parliamentary system and maintains a free economy similar to the rest of the country.
The Dinaric Alps dominate the western border with Croatia. Mountains in Republika Srpska include Kozara, Romanija, Jahorina, Bjelašnica, Motajica and Treskavica. The highest point of the entity is peak Maglić at 2,386 m, near the border with Montenegro.
Most rivers belong to the Black Sea drainage basin. The principal rivers are the Sava, a tributary of the Danube that forms the northern boundary with Croatia; the Bosna, Vrbas, Sana and Una, which flow north and empty into the Sava; the Drina, which flows north, forms part of the eastern boundary with Serbia, and is also a tributary of the Sava. Trebišnjica is one of the longest sinking rivers in the world. It belongs Adriatic Sea drainage basin. Skakavac Waterfall on the Perućica is one of the highest waterfalls in the country, at about 75 metres (246 feet) in height. The most important lakes are Bileća Lake, Lake Bardača and Balkana Lake.
In Republika Srpska two national parks are located, Sutjeska National Park and Kozara National Park, and one protected nature park, Bardača. Perućica is one of the last remaining primeval forests in Europe.
Welcome to Republika Srpska tourist video filmed and produced by Trivia Ltd. in 2012. The project was made with the support of the Ministry of Trade and Tourism of Republika Srpska, and the help of good people and hosts across Srpska:
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